Grain-drill.



' NdI 872,590.

1 `PATENTED DEG. 3 J. STURROGK n A. L. JOHNSON.

GRAIN DRILL. A'PPLIGATION FILED JUNE 8.1907.

warf/*LUL Jb/1726072- THE Hemels PETERS cm, wasumcfmv, nA c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN STURROCK AND ANDREW L. JOHNSON, OF HAMILTON, ONTARIO, CANADA,ASSIGNORS TO INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEWJERSEY.

GRAIN-DRILL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1907.

Application filed June 8| 1907. Serial No. 377.867.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN STURROCK, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, and AN- DREW L. JoHNsoN, a citizen of the United States, bothresiding at Hamilton, in the county'of Wentworth and Province ofOntario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGrain-Drills, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to grain drills having wheel frames to which arepivotally secured a series of trailing drag-bars having furrow-openerssecured to their rear ends, said drag-bars usually having independentmovement in vertical planes and provided with single means forsimultaneously elevating or depressing the entire series, said meansusually consisting in a rock-shaft suitably mounted upon the wheel frameand having lever and link connection with the individual drag-bars, anda lever connected therewith` whereby the shaft may be rocked in itssupports.

The object of the invention is to provide a counterbalancing springmechanism in connection with the rock-shaft whereby the operative forceof the spring is effective to press the furrow-openers in' contact withthe soil when the shaft is rocked in one direction, and to sustain themin an elevated position when said shaft is rocked in an oppositedirection. We attain this obj ect by the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which- Figure'l is an end elevation of part ofa grain drill, and a side view of our improvenient forming a partthereof and Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a part of Fig. 1, partly insection. v

Referring to the drawings, in which the same reference numeralsdesignate like parts throughout the several views, lis a part of themain frame upon which is mounted a seed hopper 2, having end members 3at opposite ends thereof and whereby it is secured to the main frame.

4 represents one of a series of furrow-openers that are suitably mountedat the rear ends' of drag-bars designated by the numeral 5 and havingtheir forward ends pivotally connected with the forward side of the mainframe by means of depending brackets 6, in a manner to permit thefurrow-openers to rise and fall in verticalnplanes.

7 is a rock-shaft having its opposite ends journaled in arms 8projecting forwardly from the members 3 and provided with a series oflever arms 9 secured thereto, and connected with the drag-bars by meansof links 10, having their lower ends pivotally connected with thedrag-bars and their upper ends slidably connected with the lever arms toa limited extent and 1l represents springs surrounding the links, andoperative in the well-known way to depress the drag-bars g and 12represents a hand lever secured to the rock-shaft, by means of which theshaft may be rockedin its bearings by the` operator in a common way,allof which parts may be of the usual or other preferred form.

' To assist the operator in manipulatin the rock-shaft, and also tobring additional orce into action'for the purpose of depressing thedrag-bars when in operative position, and to assist in sustaining themwhen in raisedposition, there is provided a counterbalancing springmechanism that consists in a lever 13 secured to one end of therock-shaft 7 and having arms 14 and 15 extending in opposite directionsfrom the axis .of said shaft; a tension spring 16, having one endpivotally connected with arm 15 by means of a link 17, and its oppositeend adjustably connected to a rod 18 by means of an eye piece 19slidably mounted upon the rod and secured in adjusted position by meansof nuts 20, the opposite end of the rod being pivotally connected Withthe arm 14; and 21 is a fulcrum the rod intermediate its ends.

`are in operative position and are being depressed by the force of thesprings 1 1, and the spring 16, being strained between the arm 15 andthe end of rod 18, is operative through said rod and arm 14 to rock theshaft 7 in a direction to depress said drag-bars. When the lever 12 ismoved rearward to rock said shaft in an opposite direction, thedrag-bars are raised, as shown by dotted lines, and rod 18, vibratingabout its fulcrum, carries the spring 16 below the axis of the shaft, inwhich position its force is operative to main-l tain the shaft in aposition to elevate the drag-bars g the force of the spring beingneutralized when its points of connection with arm 15 and rod 18 are inline with the axis of the shaft 7 and the bearing of the rod 18 in thefulcrum 21.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is:

1. In a grain drill, the combination of a mainframe, furrow-openersconnected therewith, means for adjusting said furrow-openers in verticalplanes, said ineans comprising a rock-shaft having lever arms connectedwith said furrow-openers, means Jfor rotating said rock-shaft, saidmeans comprising a lever secured thereto and having arms extending inopposite directions from the axis thereof, a counterbalancing springhaving one end pivotally connected with one of said arms, a rod havingone end pivotally connected with the other arm, the opposite end of saidcounterbalancing spring being connected with the opposite end of saidrod, said rod being fulcrumed intermediate its ends upon a fixed part ofsaid main frame.

2. In a grain drill, the combination of a main frame, furrow-openersconnected therewith, means for adjusting said furrow-openers in verticalplanes, said means comprising a rock-shaft having lever arms connectedwith said Jfurrow-openers, means Jfor rotating said rock-shaft, saidmeans comprising a lever secured thereto and having arms extending inopposite directions Jfrom the axis thereof, a counterbalancing springhaving one end pivotally connected with one of said arms, a rod havingone end pivotally connected with the other arm, the opposite end of saidcounterbalancing spring being connected with the opposite end of saidrod, said rod being slidably connected intermediate its ends with aswinging fulcrum mounted upon a fixed part of said main frame.

3. In a grain drill, the combination of a main frame, furrow-openersconnected therewith, means for adjusting said furrow-openers in verticalplanes, said means comprising a rock-shaft having lever arms connectedwith said furrow-openers, means for rotating said rock-shaft, said meanscomprising a lever secured thereto and having arms extending in oppositedirections from the axis thereof, a counterbalancing spring having oneend pivotally connected with one of said arms, a rod having one endpivotally connected with the other arm, the opposite end of saidcounterbalancing spring being adjustably connected with the opposite endof said rod, said rod being slidably connected intermediate its endswith a swinging ulcrum mounted upon a fixed part of said main Jframe.

JOHN STURROCK. ANDREW L. JOHNSON. Witnesses:

A. W. ToRY, JAs. M. SHEPARD

